New perinatal mental health supports available

by Stephanie Eames
Partnership Liaison, United Children’s Services

United Children’s Services is a recipient of the STAMPP (Screening, Treatment, and Access for Mothers and Perinatal Partners) Grant from the Vermont Department of Health and Department of Mental Health. This federally funded grant program aims to improve the mental health and well-being of pregnant and postpartum parents and their partners through increased access to treatment and recovery support services. This grant enables UCS to train seven clinicians and allied professionals to qualify for the PMH-C Perinatal Mental Health Certification from Postpartum Support International (PSI), which will increase specialized psychotherapy services in our county. The STAMPP Grant also provides funding for PSI’s Frontline Provider training, which is designed for primary care frontline healthcare providers, but also appropriate for clinicians to get an in-depth review of the assessment and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. There are currently at least ten spots remaining in this on-demand webinar that can be done on a participant’s own schedule – funded by the grant and free to participants.

Mothers and Babies is a new program offered by Early Childhood Services and Children, Youth and Family Services. Mothers and Babies is an interactive program that shares useful tools and skills to help pregnant and new parents (dad’s too!) manage stress and/or reduce symptoms of depression. It is an evidence-based intervention that has a proven record of success for preventing postpartum depression. Mothers and Babies can be offered as a group or in individual sessions. Stephanie Eames and Ally Gerity will run a group for Head Start families this summer. The Head Start Family Services team will be trained and will provide one-on-one sessions with families they work with. We look forward to offering the group to the general public in the near future.

For more information about the new Mothers and Babies Program, please contact mothersandbabies@ucsvt.org.

Photo from mothersandbabiesprogram.org